P: When selecting a collapsed stack, provide option to apply changes to all photos in the stack

[OUcaveman001]

In Lightroom 5.4, if I select a collapsed stack of photos in the Library module, I would like the option to automatically apply changes (e.g. metadata) to all photos within that stack.

Background: as a first-time Lightroom user, I used the auto-stacking feature so that my 3-shot bracketed (i.e. HDR) photos would be stacked together. With the stacks collapsed, I went through my library, selected multiple stacks, and typed in a GPS location to be applied to those photos. I assumed that by selecting the (collapsed) stacks, the metadata would be applied to all photos within those stacks. However, the GPS locations were only applied to the first photo within each stack.

After the fact, I learned that stacks must be expanded in order to select all photos within the stack. From my perspective, this defeats the purpose of creating stacks - if one must expand the stack to apply changes to all photos within the stack, there doesn't seem to be much point of creating stacks in the first place.

[JohanElzenga]

"This was already suggested in forums back in 2008 and it's hard to believe, that this is not a common request, even if it's not high priority."

Apparently most people do not see this as a major issue. For example: I usually keyword my photos before I start creating stacks. And I often do not want the brackets to contain the keywords of the HDR, because I do not want to find HDR brackets if I search by a certain keyword. I only want to find 'finished photos', i.e. the HDR photo.

[NetHawk]

OK, good point. So this could be an option, to suit everybody's needs. I, for example do NOT keyword first. Right after the shoot I wan't to see results and do the bookkeeping work later. You also state, that often you don't want to keyword your brackets, but obviously sometimes you do want it. This clearly is a sign, that a feature is missing and that's why I suggested it here. There is always a way around a specific need. But in your first answer it alredy became clear, that this involves additional steps. So whenever a request can only fulfilled with extra work, this is a sign, that the workflow could be improved. I'm aware, that this is not a major issue, that's why it's not implemented (yet). I use Lightroom since the first version and over the years I could tick off many items from my wishlist. This is one of the few still remaining. Should I forget about it? Not mention it? I don't think so. It was time to talk about the less obvious feature request, because all in all Lightroom has become very mature and feature rich. Please consider to cut some corners, that's all I'm asking for.

[arbell15]

The default behavior of lightroom when a stack is collapsed is to only work on the master file when I do things like rename the file, delete the file, etc.

I believe this is done to be Safe which is ok, however, it would be great if lightroom could prompt the user or all a user to configure it to apply things to the entire stack even if it's collapsed.

[Bob Somrak]

You could use John Beardsworth's SYNCOMATIC plugin to sync the metatada and edits to the rest of the stack. It has a few minor glitches/bugs I reported that don't affect the sync data but it works great.

http://www.beardsworth.co.uk/lightroom/syncomatic/

[John R Ellis]

Why conversations get merged: 

https://feedback.photoshop.com/conversations/lightroom-classic/lightroom-auto-import-to-folders-orga... 

[NitroR00]

I can't believe Adobe hasn't addressed this yet.  I use film simulation bracketing and only want to keep one out of a group of photos - if I want to reject a stack I want to reject the whole thing, not just the first image.  I will say that the Syncomatic plugin suggested earlier works GREAT and I'm happily paid for that as it sped up my workflow significantly.

[John R Ellis]

"I can't believe Adobe hasn't addressed this yet."

Worse, they've marked it Idea: Declined at the bottom of the first post.  They rarely mark Ideas as Declined.

[jackalopemaui]

I rarely use stacks but just stacked sets of drone photos so that I could edit each day of photos separately. I assumed selecting a stack would let me edit the entire stack at once. I was surprised when I discovered that's not the case. What exactly is the reason for limiting edits to the "top" of the stack which happens to be the first photo? I saw that some posters said this workflow makes sense. What workflow automatically assumes the first photo in a set is the only one you want to edit?

Expanding a stack, selecting the photos carefully limiting the selectio to the stack, and then editing is unnecessarily labor intensive. Adobe should add a "sync stack" option.

[Califdan2]

Seeing as how Adobe has no interest in addressing this issue here is a quick workaround.

1)  Create an empty collection

2)  when you have whatever "source" you are using (e.g. one or more folder, All Photographs, Etc/), use <Ctrl+Click (win)/<cmd>+click (Mac) to add the "Empty Collection" to whatever source you already had.

Now, all images in the selected source(s) are shown regardless of their stack participation.  If you already had the tops of collapsed stacks selecte, they will stillo be selected making the stacks easier to find.  But, you will still have to select the other images in the stack.   

[Califdan2]

My prior post is solution 3 in the following article which I wrote a couple of years ago

https://www.danhartfordphoto.com/blog/2022/4/lr014-lrc-tip01-all-photos-really

[Anonymous32046884zanx]

I was wondering if it would be possible or if I am overlooking something here... if I stack a group of similar images or virtual images etc. When I select that group ( collapsed ) in Library and I add a keyword, I expect it to apply to all images in that stack but it does not. It only applies to the top selected image. I can understand if you have the stack expanded and only select one of the images that this would be the behavior but to me, it makes sense when collapsed and you select the group as a whole that the keywords apply to all images within the stack. A stack is a grouping that should make it easy to apply many functions at once to the whole if selecting the stack while collapsed. Currently you have to expand the stack, select all the images with shift click then add the keyword(s). Thank you for you time.

[Califdan2]

A long time feature request that is still waiting.  It has been suggested that a preference be added to automatically autosync metadata changes to images in collapsed stack or not/  Another feature request is to all the use of a modifier key (ctrl, alt, cmd, shift, opt,  etc) while making the change to apply it to the buried images.  Neither of these feature requests as been adopted by Adobe.  

One sort of work around is to create an empty regular collection.  If you then add that "empty" collecton to whatever folder(s) you have selected (ctrl/cmd click on it), the gird/filmstrip will show all images - stacked or not - and you can just select the the full stack.  Not as good as those feature requests, but does skirt having to keep expanidng and collapsing stacks.

[John R Ellis]

Two imperfect workarounds:

- Before making the change (e.g. applying a keyword), shift-click the stack-count badge in the upper-left corner of the thumbnail. That will expand the stack and select all the photos in it.

- Use the Syncomatic plugin.

[John R Ellis]

Moderators, @Rikk Flohr: Photography, @Rick Spaulding -, please merge with this feature request:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-ideas/p-when-selecting-a-collapsed-stack-provide-op...

[pedzsan]

Shift-click the badge helped me a lot.  Thank you.

Also, to the other folks watching this thread: it might help if "we" provided a suggested method of implementing what we are wanting.  Should it be that always when you pick a collapsed stack that all modifications apply to all of the images?  Or perhaps if the user double clicks?  Or perhaps if the user option clicks on the badge?  Another thought is the first shift click on the badge selects all the images but does not expand the stack.  The second shift click would expand the stack.

There are many options I suppose...